U.S. Removes Sanctions Against Glavkosmos, Cited for Missile Proliferation to Iran

The U.S. has removed sanctions against the Russian-owned space company Glavkosmos that were put in place in 1998 over missile proliferation, RIA Novosti reports:

The United States imposed economic sanctions against Glavkosmos on July 30, 1998, accusing it of export control violations and engaging in proliferation activities related to Iran’s missile program.

The sanctions barred the company from exporting or importing goods to the United States and also blocked it from receiving any U.S. assistance.

The decision comes during a period in which the Obama Administration and NASA are attempting to deepen international cooperation in space.

Established by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985, Glavcosmos served as the country’s contract agency for implementing agreements with foreign nations. It oversaw the flights of foreign astronauts to the space station Mir as well as the implementation of commercial microgravity experiments and advertisements.

Wikipedia says that Glavkosmos’ role has shifted over the last 20 years:

After the breakup of the Soviet Union and the creation of the Russian Federal Space Agency it is concerned with converting military technology to civil applications and commercialization of Russian space technology

Glavkosmos overseen cooperative projects with foreign nations, including Argentina and India. The has been involved in providing assistance to ISRO on several projects, including the launching of remote sensing satellites and the development of cryogenic stages for India’s GSLV rockets.

The U.S. had imposed sanctions in 1992 after a deal between Glavkosmos and India on the transfer of rocket technology. Those sanctions were later lifted after a new deal was signed involving the sale of engines without the technology transfer.